


We’ve just been us

by s_n_k_tt



Series: RadioDust Week [3]
Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Aphobia, Asexual Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Dealing with Aphobia, Fluff and Angst, Graphic Description of Corpses, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, caring Angel Dust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24287518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_n_k_tt/pseuds/s_n_k_tt
Summary: RadioDust Week Day 3: Angst/ComfortAlastor has to deal with the mental wounding from the words of several aphobic demons. Even after slaughtering them, he's still not the Radio Demon they all love and hate so Angel Dust decides to go help him through it.
Relationships: Alastor/Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel)
Series: RadioDust Week [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1750507
Comments: 14
Kudos: 211





	We’ve just been us

**Author's Note:**

> Hello All Again!
> 
> Day three is here and its time to enjoy the comfort and feel the stab of angst through our hearts! I am lucky I haven't dealt with some bullshit other ace people go through with phobia, but I cannot go into the comments of ace positive posts on twitter or Facebook since I know they'll be some aphobic asshole on there. So I figured I'd use Al to do exactly what I would do to them if I had that power.
> 
> Warning: Description of the carnage/violence, aphobic remarks, alcohol, rape mention with the aphobic remarks (as in corrective rape).

The carnage was extreme even for one such as the Radio Demon, who stood in the centre of it all. Blood soaked every inch of his clothing, to the point he could feel a pool of it, collecting in his shoes. Dismembered and disembowelled corpses scattered around, hanging from lampposts, shop signs, sliding slowly down the walls from where they had been catapulted to. The smell of blood and gut could be smelt a fair distance from the site of the massacre, the blood inches deep and draining away into the sewer system.

All but a few demons had scattered at the first sign of a fight between the Radio Demon and the group of brute demons that now lay around him, so mutilated that not even their own mothers would recognise them.

And after the carnage, the few that remained to shop had fled the blood scene in case they got pulled in by the Radio Dust uncontrolled tentacles that seemed to randomly snag demons to pull them apart.

However, there was a single demon walking into the square where it all went done, who stopped when his boots splashed in the blood.

“Al?” Angel Dust asked, picking up Fat Nuggets as the pig was slowly being stained red, ignoring the blood the pig got on his outfit. When Alastor didn’t reply, face cast down at the head at his feet, his bicoloured hair hiding the expression on his face.

“Alastor?” Angel tried again, walking diagonally to be able to see the face of Alastor, though didn’t dare get any closer. As much as he trusted Al not to kill him, he hadn’t seen him such a state before. Al enjoyed carnage, yes, but that was broadcasted and planned. This was spontaneous and most of all, emotional.

The second mention of his name, the head of Alastor snapped up, halting Angel's movement. The neck partially cracked at the weird position, neck still pointing downward yet his head was directly facing Angel. The dials were spinning out of control, the static causing pain in Angel's ears and was making Fat Nuggets squeal and wiggle uncomfortably. Alastor's antlers had expanded, splintering out and dripping blood.

But it was the smile that made Angel feel like the prey in this situation. If felt like the skin of Alastor face had split open for him to smile that wide, teeth dripping with blood and flesh stuck between the sharp fangs.

Angel took a step back, placing Fat Nuggets down who ran to cower in a dark alleyway away from the monster of the Radio Demon. The shopping bags were placed down on a bench, Angel not caring if the blood-soaked through.

"I have no clue what happened here Al, but I'm sure they had it coming." Angel tried to soothe Alastor, for both their sakes. Everything screamed in Angel to run away, grab Fat Nuggets, jump onto a roof and sprint back to the hotel, hoping Alastor wouldn’t hunt him. But after the late night and cooking and dancing, they had spoken more often. Less flirtation and fewer insults from both their parts had welcomed a friendship that Angel loved. Husk had remarked once while drunk on the cheap booze that he hadn’t seen Alastor enjoy someone’s company where there was no pre-deal occurring.

Alastor finally stood up to his full height, head tilting his way and that as he took a step forward. The static was getting worse, channels flicking in and out of the static as the Radio Demon’s power went haywire. Angel stood his ground, knowing it could either seen as a challenge to the demon or not invoke a hunt.

“Al, come on, please. Whatever they did they’ve paid for it, if they’re not double dead now, they’re gonna spend till extermination day getting themselves back together." Angel tried again, his four arms holding out between him and Al, trying to make himself seem non-threatening.

Al stopped walking toward him, standing among the bloody battlefield like a god of war. The dials were slowing down now, the static less piercing. Angel’s ears were still ringing from the pain of it.

"Come on, Al, grab a piece of them, and we'll head back to the hotel. Cook them up in you Ma's Jambalaya, and we can talk. Or not. Either way." Angel offered the options to Al, adding the last part bit by bit as he thought.

The static slowly dissolved back to the average level that flowed around the hotel, the smile slowly falling from his face till it returned to his more natural one. Angel watched in awe as the antler appeared to absorb the additional prongs that had developed, leaving the two twigs that he usually had.

The dials were last to leave, a blink and a pair of red eyes were gazing at him. But they were distant, like Al wasn’t entirely there. Relief washed over Angel as Al returned to his usual self, but concern still gripped him at what could have caused such a drastic change in Al’s behaviour.

Angel dared to approach him, little by little, eyes searching for any sign that Al may react violently. He found nothing, not even a twitch.

When Angel got a few steps away, it was like someone plugged Al back in. The posture straightened up more as his eyes glowed with life, staff summoned his hand.

"Angel Dust, my good friend! Having another shopping spree?" Alastor asked gleefully, arms spread open and talking like they weren’t surrounded by a lake of blood.

"Yeah Al, got some nice stuff. There was a sale on some pretty lingerie, so I got some in different colours." Angel answered with an awkward laugh, rambling on and trying to ignore the weirdness of the situation.

“Charming my dear! Now we should really be getting back to the hotel, I do believe I need a change of clothes. Charlie will surely have a fit if I drip blood all over the hotel and terrify the guests.” Alastor remarked as he twirled his staff, turning on his heel to walk off in the direction of the hotel. Angel blinked at the sudden change, grabbing his bags and Fat Nuggets from the alleyway to chase after Al, who was strolling like it was a warm sunny afternoon in the park. Once out of the way of all the blood, Angel placed Fat Nuggets back on the floor, the pig happily squealing at the freedom.

“Hey Al, don’t go crazy but what happened back there?” Angel asked cautiously after a few minutes of walking.

Al had been quiet for those few minutes, the static tuning into a collected jazz number as they moved, twirling his cane. To anyone else, Alastor looked like his usual, collected self, just covered in blood. But Angel could tell by the slightly pinched eyebrows and eyes fading in and out that Something was still up. Whatever those demons had done, slaughtering them wasn’t enough for Al.

The question caused Al to look over at Angel, smiling charmingly as he closed his eyes.

"Just some badly placed banter between demons. It just required a little education on the matter." Al offered with a hum, but the background laughter played, which made Angel frown.

"Al, that looked a lot more than a little education. More of a preview for extermination day." Angel pushed more, glancing over his shoulder. They were well out of the way of the blood, but the metallic smell was still abundant in the air.

Al didn’t respond, instead looked forward.

“They said Al’s sexuality is unnatural.” The mic piped up from nowhere, causing a needle scratch to echo around. Al glared at the mic before dismissing it with a pop, placing his arms behind his back as he continued to stroll. Angel had stopped still at this information, only moving slightly as Fat Nuggets tugged on his lead to follow after Al.

“Al? I’m not gonna judge you for doing that after they said that. I- “ Angel started, only stopping when Al put his hand up.

“Angel, I’m going to make this very clear. I’m not having this discussion with you, it’s been dealt with in my way.” Alastor warned, with a single glance over his shoulder showing the dials were back.

Angel closed his mouth, his hand rubbing his arm in comfort as he listened to Al walk off. He knew for a fact shit like that played on the mind, the anger, the hate and that little voice that agreed with what they said. But Al didn’t wanna talk about it, then he couldn’t make him.

* * *

Alastor was out of sorts for the next few days. Everyone in the hotel could see it. Guests avoided him more, the static unbearable at times and his aura petrifying. When Charlie had tried to talk it out with him, he had walked off without a word. This caused Vaggie to threaten him for ignoring her girlfriend’s help. All he did was snap her spear in half and walked off. No quip, comment or threat as he usually did.

All of which left the residents and staff stunned. Some of the residents were happy with the change as he didn’t threaten them as much, but Husk and Niffty looked concerned whenever they saw him. Charlie and Vaggie shared looks when they saw him walking through the hotel, the theatrics all gone. Like someone had cut the strings that kept him lively and animated.

"Know what up with him?" Husk asked Angel at the bar, passing him non-alcoholic sex on the beach to Angel. Angel was sat on one of the barstools watching Alastor drift into the room behind the reception.

“Something happened a few days ago. Ya know that massacre that hit the news? Well, that was Al. Found his covered in blood and guts, crazed. His mic mentioned that they had said his sexuality was unnatural." Angel answered with his voice laced with concern. He hadn’t dared talk to Al, even getting close to him made Al glare and walk off. Angel could see a wall being built to keep others out, higher than the previous one.

"Not seen that sort of thing since his rise to power." Husk remarked as he began to polish one of the glasses. "He's always been prickly about his sexuality. Might be from the living days or just Something about him."

Angel listened as he drank the juice cocktail, waiting for Al the reappear.

"Hey, Angel. I know your mouth is best sucking dick, but maybe you could use it to talk to him." Husk suggested, poking Angel's shoulder to get his attention.

“Tried. Everything I go close to him, he disappears.” Angel huffed back in frustration.

Husk was silent as he debated providing Angel with the information.

“Just between you and me, Alastor’s been up on the roof most evenings. Best place to get info.” Husk informed him, causing Angel to turn around. When he did so, he found Husk waving a bottle of spirits, causing Angel's eyes to widen.

“You get Al back; I will start serving your cocktails with this.” Husk offered with a raised eyebrow before shoving it back under the counter, making sure Charlie and Vaggie didn’t see.

At the extra incentive, Angel bit his lip. He should do it just because he liked Al, but having alcohol again made it so much better.

“Fine, can’t promise I’ll get him back, but I’ll talk to him.” Angel offered instead, taking his drink and walking back to his room. He had a few hours to collect his thoughts.  
  


* * *

It was 8pm when Angel crept up the stairs that lead to the rooftop, the door slightly ajar which he peaked out. There was a basic rooftop garden up here that Charlie had made to make it pleasant for the guests, but no one really used it. On a bench overlooking the edge of the hotel was Al, his hair moving slightly in the wind, a faint orchestra piece riding the wind.

Angel swallowed his nervousness as he pushed open the door, putting on the confidence he used when walking into work. But this was out of his comfort zone. He could dirty talk people into cumming, but this was new. He approached quietly, though Alastor's ear flicked in his direction telling him he had been caught.

The clip of his boots filled the open air as he sat down beside Al, hand perched in his lap as he looked out over the rest of Hell with Al.

Angel had no clue how to start the conversation, he had hours to work it out, but now it came to it, all ideas left him.

"Do you believe it is unnatural to not have an attraction to anyone or lack the desire to be physical with others?" Alastor asked suddenly, breaking the tense silence between them. Angel blinked for a moment, registering that is was Al speaking.

“Uh.” Was Angel’s reply as he tried to work out the question in his surprised mind.

“Eloquent my dear. Nevermind.” Alastor replied simply, moving to stand up. Angel reacted on instinct, grabbing Alastor’s wrist. Al immediately tensed up under his hand, hand clenching with restrained fury.

“Sorry Al, I’ve been trying to work out how to talk to ya, so you starting surprised me.” Angel apologised quickly, pulling his hand back. He was worried he’d blown his only chance was Al sat back down with a sigh.

“Those demons got wind of my lack of attraction to other demons and lack of sexual drive. They informed me that I was unnatural, that I should at least enjoy one type of demon. Broken, frigid and one seemed to threat rape by saying they could fix me." Alastor confessed. Angel was livid, with every word Alastor said and explained that day, he could feel a cold stone in his chest and hellfire in his stomach. He knew the stripes and markings on his body were dissolving to hot pink with the fury coursing through his veins. From the bullshit, he went through in his living life and the bullshit he partial went through in Hell. Al did what he always wanted to do, yet those comments still weighed heavily on his mind.

“Ya not unnatural. Unusual yes, murderous and bloodthirsty, also yes. But just because ya aren’t attracted to people to fuck them or don’t wanna doesn’t make you unnatural.” Angel kept the anger out of his voice, trying to soothe the Radio Demon.

Al’s eyes were flickering between dials and his normal eyes. Angel had a feeling it was reliving the memory.

“Vaggie gave me a magazine about all the different sexuality known now. There’s a lot, but people are different, and one label doesn't fit all. From what ya saying, asexual seems to fit what you’re saying.” Angel continued on, trying desperately to pull Al from whatever he was in.

“Asexuality?” Alastor asked, looking over at Angel with a tilt of his head.

“Yep, the magazine defined it as someone who doesn’t experience sexual attraction. Then there’s a spectrum of how you respond to sex. You have sex-repulsed one end, and sex-positive the other, with sex indifferent in the middle." Angel continued with more energy as Al began to be more invested in the conversation. His hands moved to for the spectrum, with every point he described, he put his arms in the appropriate space. This is what Al needed. If Al had no idea the label existed, how was he supposed to know he wasn’t alone and completely natural.

“That word wasn’t around when I was alive. I was always told I’d find a pretty lass to settle down with. But I didn’t want that, and even when I ended up down here, nothing had changed." Alastor laughed with no humour in it.

"I was as well. My attraction to men was an abomination to my family and society. More accepted down in Hell thankfully. At least you had the power to slaughter them, human me had a gun and not enough bullets to put all the bastards down." Angel chuckled softly, trying to lighten to mood a little.

It earned him a soft chuckle from Al, seeing his shoulders move a little with the sound.

"Those demons were wrong Al, and all they sprouted was bullshit. If you’re unnatural than so am I, Charlie and Vaggie. None of us are straight, and none of us will have dickheads telling us we're unnatural because of who we like to fuck or not like to." Angel continued on, arms flailing dramatically as he let out the frustration and anger building up in him. From Al’s situation, from his own and from the whole damn society that was still bullshit.

“The world back in the living is changing, and so is Hell. Still shit from what I hear, but people like you, me, Vaggie and Charlie are being accepted and free. Labels ain’t being hidden behind doors no more, like when we were alive. But back then and now, we’ve never been unnatural, broken or damaged. We’ve just been us ya know?” Angel finished, deflating and relaxing a little as he got his anger and frustration out finally.

Al hummed in the agreement of the final rant, reaching over to wrap as an arm around Angel's shoulder. He pulled him close, so their thighs were touching. Angel melted into the scent and warmth of the radio demon, letting himself get engulfed in it. He cautious leant his head on Al’s shoulder, odd eyes glancing up to see if Al was going shove him off. But Al didn’t.

Al himself loved the soft fur and warmth pressed against his suit, the hair on Angel’s head tickling the little bit of skin exposed on his neck and jawline. It the past few days had been burdensome, unable to get the will to enjoy his usual theatrics and power. His mind had been playing over the words of the demons, and why just getting rid of them hadn’t fixed anything. It took a while to realise the wound were on the mind.

But for once in the past few days, that little voice that has been getting louder and louder shut up, replaced by a sound of a certain Angel Dust about asexuality. He glanced down at the spider beside him, noticing the hot pink stripes fading back to pale pink slowly. Angel seemed to curl up more against Al, hand clenching onto his coat as Al heard a slight snore coming from Angel.

Al was surprised at how fast Angel fell asleep and a little concerned that he’d sleep next to Al, knowing what Al was. But Something warmed in his chest at the display of trust, and the rather adorable look of Angel asleep.

Al closed his eyes as well, turning his head to push his face into Angel’s fluffy hair, inhaling deep. The scent of strawberries filled his nostril, so sweet and sickly along with the smell of chocolate and a hint of basil.

Al knew he wouldn’t settle down with a pretty little lass and have several children, either because of his sexuality or the way he was. But part of him wouldn’t mind having a meaningful relationship with a beautiful male spider.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comments.


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